


The butterfly effect

by icedkoffee



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: All The Ships, Multi, Parallel Universes, because I love her, zelda based
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 14:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17387699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icedkoffee/pseuds/icedkoffee
Summary: In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change can result in large differences in a later state.[...]Certain decisions will be taken whether you agree or not. With some things, you have a choice, apparently, but you just know it’s all smoke and mirrors.Especially if you’re a witch, or a warlock, and nearing your sixteenth birthday.





	The butterfly effect

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! it's currently 1:40 am and here I am posting my first ever fanfiction.  
> basically, i spent days planning everything, the plot, the dialogs... than i changed my mind and wrote this in the spur of the moment.  
> this was originally saved as "am i really going to post this". turns out I am.  
> please be aware that english is not my first language and i have never written anything that wasn't a school essay, so you will most likely found typos. i hope they’re not too bad.

In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change can result in large differences in a later state.  
So, if something as trivial as a perturbation caused by the flapping of the wings of a butterfly can cause a tornado on the other side of the world several weeks later, imagine what implication can have an event that transcends different plans of existence.

Mortals can barely understand the reality they are currently forced into, so they wouldn’t notice any significant shift in their lives even if it hit them square in the face, never mind something that went beyond the world they can physically perceive as real. Every strange thing happening to them, they would attribute to case, or a divinity, if they had faith.

But it’s chaos that controls everything, a cosmic flowchart that dictates their paths. Apparently, they have a certain degree of free will, the liberty to decide for themselves, take responsibilities for their actions, be wrong, go back and try again, but in the end Chaos has already everything set up, making every choice coaxed with deceit or other tricks. As some realize, sooner or later, humans are just puppets stranded on earth to amuse some bored God.

Some humans think that they exist within multiple parallel realities at once, and the decisions they make along our path affect these realities, so much that particularly important decision can even make them shift from one to another.

There is truth in that belief, only what makes them shift form a reality to another is not how powerful something they decide can be, but opportunities, chances and encounters, all sent their way by chaos itself, whenever it feels like turning tables.

Turning left or right at a crossroad can alter their entire life from that moment on, stopping to chat with that lovely old lady sitting on that bench in a park can save your life, thanking that handsome boy who picked up your book for you can change your definition of love, buying that car in the color everyone told you was hideous can either make you a killer or a victim, and so on.

Some things are just supposed to go a certain way, and no matter how much one can try to change their fate, it just won’t happen. That abandoned dog will become your best friend, one day or another, you will change several classes at college, but you will major in that subject your parents hate so much.

Certain decisions will be taken whether you agree or not. With some things, you have a choice, apparently, but you just know it’s all smoke and mirrors.  
Especially if you’re a witch, or a warlock, and nearing your sixteenth birthday.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this universe, and all the others really, Zelda Spellman is _thrilled_ about finally having her dark baptism, she is ready to serve the Dark Lord and attend the Academy of Unseen Art with her brother, Edward.  
Her sister, however, can’t stop crying. The only words Zelda can catch between Hilda’s sobs are “please don’t”, “I’ll be alone”, “you won’t love me anymore”, and other annoying things that are really getting on Zelda’s already taut nerves.  
She debates whether to try and cheer her sister up or ignore her, so she doesn’t risk killing her. Zelda favors the latter, she stands up and walks away without saying a word, leaving a rather dumbstruck Hilda to cry alone in her own bed. After all, she’s purifying her body of all the toxins, and a murder and a burial could make everything vain.

In this universe, Zelda is so excited about her dark baptism that the shaking of her hands delays her in signing the book of the beast. In this universe, a few seconds alter quite a few things in the lives of the Spellman family.

Here, Ambrose in not sentenced to house arrests, he’s free to travel after being cleared of all charges (to everyone’s surprise). He still loves his American aunties, but he barely visits anymore. He’s young, curious and desperate to find the father figure he missed all his life.  
Hilda and Zelda are ok with this, because in this universe they don’t know a life where Ambrose is ever present.

In this reality, Edward Spellman is still the High Priest of the Church of the Night, but he doesn’t marry the mortal he fell in love with, because he puts his coven and responsibilities before everything else.

In this universe, Zelda travels, mostly alone, but after a period of time, always of different length and for different reasons, she is drawn back to Greendale, to her brother and sister, to the house she had once upon a time called home.  
In this universe, life is easy, but quite boring.  
Zelda would be glad to know this is not the reality chaos chose for her to live in. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------

There are a lot of events that can make a reality shift into another, for example a failed Dark Baptism. In this case, Hilda’s.

Zelda had literally begged Hilda not to embarrass the entire Spellman genealogy within five minutes, and, apparently, she listened, because she managed to disgrace their entire bloodline in just _two_. And a couple of seconds.

Hilda had been dragged into the clearing for the ceremony kicking and screaming by their Father, who now stood behind the altar, as high priest, with a murderous glint in his eyes. Edward looked very pale and Zelda found herself hoping he wouldn’t faint in front of the entire coven.  
When her father turned his gaze to her she just hoped the earth could open beneath her feet and swallow her whole, so she didn’t have to deal with a wrath she hadn’t even provoked, as per usual. The older sister had to take responsibility for her little sister’s actions even if nothing could have prevented this tragedy.

Zelda was already trying to conjure a logical explanation about why (and how) Hilda had suddenly disappeared into thin air when a shocked gasp made everyone turn around and finally shift their attention from her to her very much unconscious brother, who laid without much grace on the ground. His skin was even paler than before, if possible.  
Zelda took advantage of the momentary distraction to teleport out of the woods, to find her disgrace of a sister.

Hilda is exactly where any member of her family would have looked first: sitting on the edge of the small lake (that was more a pond than anything else), hugging her knees to her chest with her left arm and tracing the edges of a smooth stone with her right hand.  
She looked so sad that she made almost stir some sort of pity in Zelda’s heart. Almost.

Hilda turned around, feeling the presence of her sister behind her, and started crying harder. Tears blurred her vision and hiccups made it difficult for her to breath, but she still tried to speak.  
“I couldn’t do it, Zelds. I never wanted to. I’m sorry I failed you and Edward.”  
All Zelda saw was red. Still, she tried to look collected for her sister’s sake as she spoke.  
“You did not fail us, Hilda.” Hilda almost stopped crying, but then she noticed a little shift in the air, as if it started vibrating around Zelda.  
“You failed the Dark Lord. You failed our father and our high priest. You failed our coven and our faith. You failed our entire family and mother’s memory.”  
Hilda took a step back, gulping in terror as Zelda’s voice kept rising.  
“Have you got the faintest idea of what you have done? About the consequences that your little charade could bring upon us? Did you think that the universe would grant you any special privilege that let you walk away from this without damage?”

Hilda cried harder and accused her sister of lying. They were free to choose. The path of light or the path of night. Their entire belief was based on free will.  
Zelda just laughed at her, with one final statement.  
“You will have your freedom all right. Do enjoy it, because it will be all you have left.”

In this universe, Hilda doesn’t accept to sign the book of the beast, so she’s not rewarded with the gifts the Dark Lord promise to witches and warlocks that follow his lead.  
In this universe, she’s not endowed with powerful magic.  
In this universe, Zelda doesn’t kill her for sport, because she’s not sure she could bring her back if she did.  
In this universe, her life span will be much, much shorter that it should have been.

In this universe, Hilda works at the bookstore in town and falls in love with the business’ owner.  
Here, there are no complications, because she’s not a witch anymore.

In this reality, Zelda breaks a lot of her self-imposed rules and start consorting with mortals. She even meddles in mortal affairs sometimes.  
In this universe, having a relationship with her sister and being a devout witch proves to be quite daunting.  
Praise Satan, this is not the reality chaos chose for Zelda.

 

\-------------------------------------------

Some people are just meant to be, some are just meant to fall… in bed together. Several times.  
There are many universes in which Zelda ends up becoming lady Blackwood, but only in this one she is the first and only.

In this universe, everything happens because of Edward. He’s the one to introduce Faustus to Zelda, but he’s too occupied trying to impress his new mentor to notice that he is now quite taken with his sister, instead.  
Zelda tries to look polite and distant, but she’s very much intrigued. Faustus is, after all, quite handsome, intelligent, powerful and in line to be the next high priest. Also, Edward would never approve, and that sends a thrill all the way down Zelda’s spine.

They start a game of cat and mouse, they go after everyone’s back and fake indifference when in public. Behind closed doors, indifference is the last thing that comes through their minds.

Edward’s timing is what make everything shift. He meets Diana, a blonde, naïve and frankly quite dumb _mortal_ , at least in Zelda’s opinion.  
He falls in love the dumb mortal and decides he just has to marry her in a _catholic church_.

After the honeymoon phase, when Edwards becomes finally aware of his surroundings and what happens in his own home, he finds out about Zelda and Faustus. No one in the house had ever seen him so mad. He threatens to kill Faustus if he so much as mentions his sister’s name and he almost throws Zelda out. In the end, Hilda is there to save the day.

Still, Zelda is absolutely appalled by her brother’s hypocrisy. He married Diana and she couldn’t even bed whoever she fancied? _Honestly_.  
In this universe, Zelda starts resenting Edward just a bit.

Here, Edward Spellman, the warlock who married a mortal woman, becomes the new high priest of the Church of the Night.  
Just one day later, Faustus crashes a family dinner and proposes to Zelda, in front of her brother, no doubt out of spite more than out of love.  
Just because she can, Zelda says yes.

The crack between her and her brother widens.  
Zelda’s resentment grows just a little.

In this universe, Zelda and Faustus do not have children. She cannot, he doesn’t mind. He has no important title that requires heirs, as he often reminds her.  
In this universe, their union is not based on love. Years of marriage made them quite fond of each other and they are very much in lust. They challenge each other, and almost a century later, sparks still fly between them. The whole coven seems to agree they are a perfect match, one made in heaven. Or hell, rather.  
Edward is still not convinced. The Blackwoods never stop resenting him.

In this universe, Zelda is Faustus’ all family, light, and world. He tells her just that as he dies, along with what she thinks is an “I love you”.  
She realizes she might have been in love with him since their first kiss, but it’s too late now.  
She resents Edward even more.

In another room, a glass jar shatters.  
However, this is not the universe chaos chose for Zelda. The jar is safe, and so is her heart.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

In this universe, everything is different.  
In this universe, Zelda is born a minute late and that makes her a year younger than she should have been.  
In this universe, the Spellmans gave up their magic generations ago to save themselves from the Salem’s trials.  
In this universe, Zelda is not a witch, but she falls in love with one.

Her name is Mary Wardwell, and in this universe she’s not Satan’s minion, sent in this world to accomplish his unholy will, but a teacher at the Academy of Unseen Arts.

They met by what anyone would call fate, but Zelda refers to their encounter as a “very unfortunate circumstance”. For starters, Mary almost run Zelda over with that metal monstrosity she dared to call her car, and to make everything worse she was incredibly rude. And bold. And annoying. Zelda just wanted to kiss that smirk off. _Slap, Spellman, you meant slap that ridiculous smile off her faces_.

In this universe, and in a few others, Zelda is not exactly sure why, or how, the spiteful banter turned into a playful one, the coldness and distance turned into burning kisses and the annoyance turned into fondness.

In this universe, and in many others, Hilda is the first to notice her sister’s little changes. She smiles more, she blushes when Hilda jokes about a mysterious suitor and she often daydreams. Hilda had never been aware that Zelda was even capable of daydreaming.

In this universe, as in many other, the truth is bound to come out one way or another.  
When Mary tells her that’s she’s a witch, Zelda’s first reaction is to laugh out loud. Of course, she’s kidding, how could she not be?  
Mary shows her, Zelda runs. 

Mary waits, tries to give her lover space to process everything. Zelda comes back and apologizes.  
They agree it’s better to stop their relationship before it becomes too serious and they start falling for each other. When Zelda looks into Mary’s eyes she knows it’s too late. They never try to break up again.

In this reality, the universe does not give them any special privilege.  
In this reality, a mortal and a witch are just not meant to be.  
It was never meant to last forever.

This time, it’s not Zelda’s wrath that make glass shatter, even though the jar is very similar to another one residing in another plan of existence. 

This time, Zelda couldn’t even imagine that chaos had designed another path for her.

 

\-------------------------------------------

The life changing event in this universe is an adoption.

Zelda is playing with Edward in the parlour when their father comes back home with a tiny baby in his arms.  
He explains that the baby is a witch, just like them, but her parents had been killed by witch hunters. The little girl needed a new home, and he decided to take her in. Hildegard was her name, he said.

Zelda eyed the baby suspiciously while she had already wrapped Edward around her little finger. Something heavy settled at the pit of Zelda’s stomach, but she couldn’t know how to describe the feeling. It just made her very uncomfortable.

In this universe, Zelda had no time to adjust to the idea that she would no longer be the youngest sister.  
In this time, her rivalry with Hilda turned violent more often than not.  
In this universe, her sister’s harrowing was truly the most ruthless the Academy had seen in years.

When Edward married his mortal harlot, Zelda couldn’t be happier to finally have found an excuse as good as any to flee.  
She spent years abroad, travelling around Europe, learning different languages and cultures. She never stopped too long because she was afraid if she became too attached something, or _someone_ , would come and take everything away from her.

In this universe, every time someone spoke about Hilda she made sure to point that she wasn’t actually her sister.

After Edward died and left his little girl behind, Zelda knew she had to go back. She couldn’t leave a Spellman in Hilda’s care, after all.

In this universe, Hilda and Zelda do not live in the same house. Sabrina has to go back and forth and often jokes about having divorced mommies. Hilda’s smile is broken, Zelda simply scoffs.

In this universe, and in many others, Hilda finds out about Zelda’s very unhealthy coping mechanisms.  
In this universe, Zelda lets Hilda hold her for the first time in years.

A few weeks later, at a parents-teacher conference where both guardians’ presence is required, a teacher has the nerves to say “you and your sister” to Zelda. A dark shadow passes over Hilda’s face as she gets ready to hear the denial from the older Spellman.  
Zelda stays silent. For the first time ever, she doesn’t feel the need to correct whoever assumed kinship between them.  
Hilda has never loved her more.

In this universe, Sabrina is still responsible for quite a number of mishaps, but maybe this is one of the inescapable paths.  
In this universe, Hilda and Zelda are sister by choice, not just case.

Chaos, however, is not very fond of choices like this. So, this one is not the reality Zelda ends up in.

 

\------------------------------------------------

In this final universe, everything starts with a plane crush. Or with a failed attempt to blow up the Vatican, who knows?

Here, Ambrose Spellman cannot leave the mortuary, because he’s sentenced to house arrests. He has been for the last 60 years and he could use a little excitement since everything is so boring.  
A few days later, something happen. Everyone in the house feels it.  
Sabrina starts crying in the middle of the night for no reason whatsoever, Hilda gets up to put the kettle on and breaks a mug, Zelda wakes up screaming.

Everything becomes clear in the morning, when Auntie Zelda in summoned by their new high priest, because the former is gone, along with his beautiful bride.  
Ambrose doesn’t understand. Uncle Edward is the high priest, he represents the Dark Lord on earth, he was supposed to be safe, protected. He just _doesn’t understand_. Auntie Hilda does her best to cheer him up, tries to make him open up because “talking about your feelings might be a good way to deal with grief, love”.  
The problem is, Ambrose isn’t grieving, he’s just confused. And angry. Because it’s not fair. His uncle was supposed to be safe. He wants answers, but he doesn’t trust father Blackwood, Auntie Hilda only gives him calming teas and Auntie Zelda in nowhere to be found. She has her own way to deal with tragedies, he muses.

After two weeks and no news from auntie Zelda, Ambrose starts worrying.

One day, Zelda just sits at the table for breakfast with a newspaper she had never read before, as if nothing happened. She focuses her whole existence around Sabrina, because she’s her night mother and that’s what Edward would have wanted her to do instead of wallowing in self-pity, she states, with a meaningful glance to her sister.  
Ambrose is increasingly worried. And even more confused.

Sixteen years later, it’s Sabrina failed dark baptism that sets everything into motion.  
It’s not something trivial, but it does transcend the plan of human existence.  
This time, Zelda is the worried one.

As always, she has every right to be.  
Still, a trial, an exorcism, a failed resurrection, a torrid affair with the highest-ranking member of her church, a lot of flirting with Sabrina’s obviously-not-excommunicated teacher, an excommunication for her sister and a close call for her, and an almost destruction of their entire city later, Zelda finds herself thinking things could have gone much worse.

Sabrina has finally, finally signed her name in the book of the beast and fully embraced her witch nature, fulfilling her father’s last wish.

Zelda is proud, until she looks into her niece’s eyes and sees the level of sadness this decision brought to her.  
“It will pass” she promises, stroking Sabrina’s hair as she dozes off in front of the fire “You made the right decision. Soon enough you will see that.”

Sabrina has her eyes closed and hasn’t said a world in the last two days and a half, so Zelda drapes a blanket over her and stands up to get to bed herself, when she feels a small hand wrap softly around her wrist.  
“Auntie Zee?”  
“Yes, darling?”  
“I’m sorry for what I said… after what happened with Tommy. You are my mother in every way that counts”  
Zelda just smiles and bids her goodnight.

“Auntie, are you crying?”, asks Ambrose, watching her from upstairs.  
“Pollen”, she simply states.

In this universe, she doesn’t have children of her own, but she ends up with two.  
In this universe, her brother is gone, but their relationship didn’t need mending.  
In this universe, she has a sister fate gave her. She kills her sometimes, but she also loves her.  
In this universe, chaos gave a very fucked up family.  
Zelda wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
